I started this book and unfortunately I am going to be unable to finish. It had too much language and I wasn’t comfortable continuing.

~ Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an early copy in exchange for an honest review! RELEASE DATE: MAY 3 ~

3.5 stars!

What in the Jeffrey Epstein...

I'm really conflicted with my rating for this one because I loved so much of this book, and I think it's going to definitely find a devoted audience. That being said, I think it was a little long for its liking. I didn't find myself truly engaged until the 45-50% mark, and that's too far in to wait in a nearly 500 page book.

But besides the fact that I found some of it to drag, THERE IS SO MUCH THAT I LOVED.

First of all, I really enjoyed reading about women/characters in general that weren't in their 20s or 30s. All of these women were at least in their 40s or much older and gained magical powers after reaching menopause. Is that not the coolest concept you've ever heard??

We follow three main characters, Jo, Harriett, and Nessa, and each of them have powers that complement each others' in a common goal: bringing justice to murdered girls they find in their Long Island town, Mattuak.

For me, the introductions of these characters were too long in the beginning, BUT once things got rolling and bodies were found and the thriller aspects started coming into play, I was hooked. One thing to note is that is definitely not a mystery. It is a fantasy/thriller, but at no point are you really left wondering about much—it's more just adrenaline from watching terrible things unfold. There are a few twists at the end of the book—one that I saw from the very beginning, but another that I totally did not (but should have!! smh emily you were slacking).

Overall, I found this feminist revenge fantasy/thriller very unique and fun, though it was sometimes bogged down by a little too much character exposition. I'd still definitely recommend this though if it at all interests you, and I hope we see more books following older characters in the future!

The Change is a feminist revenge story filled with mystery and suspense. Three women come into supernatural powers mid-life, and after discovering the murders of several young women, vow to punish the toxic men responsible.

If a book is sold as a feminist revenge story, I will read it. I need no other information. I am in. Few things make me more happy.

The Change is both a mystery and a story about women finding their power in a patriarchal world. There is discussion of important, and often overlooked, issues that affect people today – from workplace discrimination and power dynamics to the differential treatment of the wealthy to violence against women. Do not let that deter you from reading this book if that is not your thing. These topics are expertly woven into the plot in a way that highlights them as problematic without distracting from the story.

In The Change, Kirsten Miller does a fantastic job balancing tone and subject. While books of this nature can veer into campy or ridiculous, Miller managed to maintain the serious tone the subject matter required while still making the book a fun read that I did not want to put down. I also loved the writing in The Change. I cannot quite pinpoint what it was, but it was refreshing after other books I have recently read.

I loved the three main characters. They were women not defined by motherhood, their jobs, or marriage. Instead, Jo, Nessa, and Harriet were fully developed as their own people. Saying that may sound strange, but so often, women are not written as complex beings with motivations, desires, etc. outside of what the world sees as gender norms. Miller kills it and adds in some magic.

Overall, I loved The Change and will be recommending it to any who asks for a rec. My only wish is that peri-menopause actually gave all women magical powers.

3.5 stars rounded down. Almost dnf'd a couple of times but kept going. Felt more juvenile than I was expecting, though the reviews compared it to witches of Eastwick which I've never seen so maybe that is a fair comparison. Thought the twist at the end was good.

Felt like two different books with different tones. Wish it was more of the lighthearted petty revenge and less of the sex trafficking/murder story line that was pretty obvious given the similarity to the Epstein case

The Change by Kirsten Miller

Published: May 3, 2022
William Morrow
Pages: 480
Genre: Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Kirsten Miller grew up in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. At seventeen, she hit the road and moved to New York City, where she lives to this day. Kirsten is the author of the acclaimed Kiki Strike books, which tell the tale of the delinquent girl geniuses who keep Manhattan safe.

“Some forces in life are so strong that the only thing you can do is submit.”

Harriet was the best at what she did. She was intelligent, observant, and bold. But she was a woman in a male-dominated field, which meant she had her ideas stolen and watched as the men around her were promoted. Nessa lost her husband and had to raise her daughters alone. She devoted her life to making their lives memorable. She was quiet but wise and kind. Jo was a powerhouse. She quickly rose through the ranks and made a name for herself. Until her temper gets the best of her, together, these three women will change their town.

This novel makes me want to shout. What a beautiful nod to female empowerment and strength. I loved this book.

The characters were so well done. I loved the personalities, quirks, and confidence. I found Harriet, Jo, and Nessa the most unlikely of friends. But I adored their friendship. They were beautiful examples of women helping women.

This was a fantastic book. I am not much of a supernatural reader, but this was the perfect blend of mystical and thriller. The plot moves along at a quick pace. And the twists are never-ending.

I loved Harriet’s calm confidence. After years of being seen but not heard, she had enough. And she takes her life back. I loved Nessa’s compassion; she was a lover through and through. And I loved Jo’s passion. She was loyal and determined to protect the ones she loved.

The plot was well developed, and I enjoyed the way things played out. When you think things can’t get any crazier- they do. The twists and turns were unreal. And I loved how the story was told.

This was a fantastic book, with amazing characters, a great plot, and the twists played out well. I loved the idea of the truly guilty being punished.

This would be an incredible series, if done correctly. Tough women being everything they want to be? Loving that!

Harriett Osborne may just be one of my new favorite literary characters! Miller's adult debut is razor sharp, showing the casual misogyny that many women face every day that isn't taken seriously and pairs it with a multi-layered murder mystery and women that are real, strong, funny - and tired of putting up with s***. Harriett, Nessa and Jo all have supernatural abilities, ones so normal that the book never really stretches the bounds of believability. And casual meetings eventually lead up to the women teaming up, when Nessa has a connection with a dead young girl. As empowered as the women are, their odds of righting wrongs seems stacked against them. The police chief doesn't take them seriously, and the billionaires residing near the beach where Jane Doe was found aren't enthusiastic about the publicity. But are they concerned about more than just bad publicity? The three women quickly discover that the first young girl isn't the only one, and that there's a very complicated web of power that does not want them exposing secrets. While writing a good mystery and addressing the indignities women regularly face, this story also has many moments that are just laugh-out-loud funny, and keep the story from getting too dark. There are easily a dozen lines of Harriet's that are hysterical and likely to be regularly quoted. And lest you think that Miller makes every male member of the species into complete jerks, she doesn't. There are several great male characters in this story, that while they have their own flaws and insecurities, are genuinely good human beings and support the women in their lives. Put on your big girl panties and prepare to burn the world down - it just may need it. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow! A millions times, yes! This book had me hooked from the very beginning and what a wild ride it was. This story was told with so much wit and sarcasm. This book was billed as Big Little Lies meets Witches of Eastwick and this description could not be more on point. This was so much fun filled with a mystery, the greatest characters, friendship, a little romance, girl power, and revenge! My favorite book of 2022!

This book was everything!!! Definitely a top read for me and added to my all time faves. Feminist vengeance?! Yes please.
Jo, Harriet, and Nessa each possess their own supernatural gifts. Together they link up and form a force that is unstoppable. They work together to find out who is killing young women on the island in which they live. Through their journey they come into their power and fully reject all of the boxes women are forced into. A fast paced read that gripped me from the start!

This started off weird and only got weirder. But then at about 12% it got really sordid. I was not able to read further.

I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This usually isn’t my type of book to
Read. I read the synopsis and I wasn’t interested. But I’ve seen all the praise it has gotten so I decided to give it a shot. I’m so glad that I did. I found it to be funny and times and also gripping. I have no doubt that this will be a must read for a lot of people.

🌾Women taking their power and running with it!💪

4-4.5🌟 stars
This is an eminently readable tale: a murder mystery and a powerful indictment of misogyny. Three women with complementing strengths set out to right wrongs and bring the guilty to account. Their stated aim is getting justice for women and girls who society has allowed to be abused, disappear and die without caring. Yet there's also some revenge for two of the three and the way they were marginalized and dismissed by men in the business world.

The story is a quick read despite its length and kept me totally engaged. Harriett, the former advertising executive whose turn to nature, potions and a truly witch persona, was a character that I found a bit too far-fetched but she creates some standout moments as she works her magic on plants and animals.

Jo, who was pushed out of her hotel management career and opened a women's only gym, had a better vibe for me, as did Nessa, the third woman whose inherited power is to see ghosts and help them find rest. Both are mothers who worry about the future of their own daughters at the hands of unscrupulous men. They find danger for themselves and their children as their investigation digs deep into a web of power, lust and corruption based just a few miles from where they live.

The story has a twist that I anticipated but I still enjoyed the story beginning to end..

Thanks to William Morrow & Company and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars.

I loved this book. LOVED IT! I want to shout about The Change to everyone. I did absolutely nothing for a day and a half so I could devour the book.

The story focuses on three main characters. Nessa James is a widowed retired nurse practitioner who has the ability to see spirits. Harriett Osborne is a recently divorced and retired ad exec who becomes very in tune with nature. Jo Levison ran a large hotel in NYC and is now the owner of a local woman's only gym. Jo has tons of rage and heat that she can't seem to get rid of. The three new friends find a dead body and work to solve her murder and help other missing girls. While this is mainly about the three women, there are tons of ancillary characters that were incredibly woven in

The title is so perfect and relates to so much in the book. The three woman all go through major changes; menopause; how society needs to change its treatment of marginalized young woman ; how there is such a large power imbalance between men and woman and rich and poor.

Women have great power even though so many men have tried to take it from us. I found the book so empowering and hope that women continue to fight for what is ours.

This is a very unique tale of revenge filled with middle-aged heroines.

Since hitting menopause, three very different women realize they have developed certain abilities. Many times in their lives, they have each had bad experiences with men. Some were unwanted advances, and some were just men that thought they were smarter than all women. Either way, the days of putting up with those behaviors are over.
Something will bring these women together and they will begin to build a better world.

I loved this! These characters are fantastic! I love the chemistry between these women. Such great friendships. The wit and humor were very well done.

5 stars. Hands down one of the best books I have read this year.

A beautifully written magical realism book about three unlikely friends who meet later in life and team up to take down the evil in their town.

The book has it all: women’s empowerment, witches, murder, revenge, humor! It includes just the perfect pinch of fantasy to elevate a realistic storyline.

While the story runs on a chronological timeline. We get chapters of backstories on our characters. We get to feel the way they have been treated in the past and understand why they are no longer putting up with the same treatment anymore. It really is a story for any woman who has been treated unfairly because of their gender.

The writing is phenomenal. I could not put this down and even though it is on the longer side, I flew through it and was sad when it was over.

Thank you William Morrow & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one early. And to Jordy’s Book Club for telling everyone they HAD to read this one..

Pick this one up in stores - May 3 or snag this one as your add on May 3.

Wow this book was unique and a great read! Three strong female characters possess supernatural powers that allow them to exact revenge (or fix wrongs) in their world. They forge a bond while investigating the mysterious deaths of young women in their community. This story was heart-breaking, empowering, and filled with magic. You will root for Jo, Nessa, and Harriet as well as all of the people they help with their midlife "awakenings". I loved this book and I can't wait to see what Kirsten Miller writes next!

Thanks to Kirsten Miller, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this title in exchange for my honest review.

The Change, by Kirsten Miller, is a phenomenal book! I usually don’t read this genre, magical realism, but after seeing so many people posting about it I knew I just had to read it myself. I am so happy I did and this book will no doubt be in my top 10 of 2022. There are three main characters- Jo, Nessa, and Harriet. Each of them have a power that when they work together allows them to right the wrongs of their town. I don’t want to say too much about these powers to avoid spoiling the reading experience for someone else. The character development of each woman, and the dynamic of them as a trio is unmatched. I highly recommend this book! 5/5 ⭐️‘s! Run, don’t walk, to pick up your copy on the release date of May 3, 2022!

This review will be posted on GoodReads and my IG: readwithmarci.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Who run the world? Girls. 👏🏼 This book has a little bit of everything: mystery, revenge, murder, magical realism. Jo, Nessa, and Harriett are three middle aged women who don’t take crap from anyone, especially men. They are fierce, loyal, and unafraid.

When these women discover the body of a teenager on the side of the road, they make it their mission to find the person who killed her. They must take matters into their own hands when the police won’t cooperate.

Full of secrets, twists, and a dash of magic - this book was so good! The main characters are so likable and you’re rooting for them the whole time. I was yelling “get him girl!” at several points because they stop at NOTHING.

A fast-paced (even at almost 500 pages) enjoyable read with likable characters. I’d definitely recommend this one!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC: This book was a fun read! The story was compelling and the revenge fantasy of middle aged women who acquire powers as they age, coupled with a murder mystery was an enjoyable spin. The primary characters are Nessa who obtains the power to hear the dead, Jo who achieves supernatural strength powered by her anger and Harriett who is the closest to a witch. All three women have experienced misogyny in their lives, and all of their careers. They join forces over a murdered young woman. The Change is set in a mythical wealthy coastal town and the women seek justice for murdered young women amongst a wealthy enclave, populated by the wealthy powerful men who have wronged them. This quote summarizes their relationships well: " Nessa was the light in the darkness. Harriett was the punishment that fit the crime. She (Jo) was the rage that would burn it all down." High quality popular fiction.

I got 48 hours access to this book and finished it well before it expired. Only then did I realize how long this novel actually is – 480 pages. Don’t let that turn you off. The suspense, the pacing, and the wonderful women you will meet will keep you reading! This is a very clever, unique book and I thank the Author, William Morrow, and NetGalley for this advance copy of “The Change”.
Jo, Nessa and Harriet are all in my general demographic of middle-aged female so maybe that helps explain how I loved this book, despite the fact that I generally avoid magical realism of any kind. Usually, I don’t like to suspend reality but in this case I was all in. These women were very real, and midlife just happened to bring each woman a superpower which of course they use for the good of women. Funny but believable. It’s not murder if you’re killing monsters after all.
I enjoyed the dual timelines which helped fill in some interesting backstories and made the plot that was underway even more compelling. The murder of young girls is the mystery and I was quickly and deeply invested in solving all of these crimes along with finding out who the victims actually were. I appreciate the time focused on the victims as usually the bad guys get all the attention. In this book they were barely mentioned.
This is a well written, expertly paced story that is both heartwarming and frustrating. Women working together against all the odds and gender discrimination are not easy topics but somehow this author has managed to write a highly entertaining tale without it being cheesy in any way. These women will stay with me for a while. This gets five stars from me.
Alice Hoffman vibes. Girl power! Female friendship later in life. Fantasitic female characters in midlife. Smooth, energetic writing. LOVED IT ALL!